Charles Leclerc Struggles With ‘Understeery yet Snappy’ Ferrari F1 Car in Singapore

Charles Leclerc endures a lacklustre Singapore weekend, qualifying seventh at a venue where he previously secured pole twice. Ferrari’s balance inconsistencies define the story, undermining confidence and execution.

The weekend begins promisingly with second in FP1, then unravels. Leclerc slips to ninth and tenth in FP2 and FP3, before Q3 yields only seventh, well below his street-circuit benchmark.

From FP2 onward, Leclerc says he cannot “feel the car.” The SF-25 combines front-end push with a snappy rear, producing an unpredictable balance that discourages commitment.

Lewis Hamilton outqualifies Leclerc by just under a tenth, the first time since Silverstone. Leclerc credits Hamilton’s execution, while highlighting his own car’s erratic responses.

Ferrari pursues set-up changes to tame understeer, but each step induces rear instability. The team accepts a compromise that neither bites at turn-in nor stabilises on exit.

The pattern echoes Baku. Leclerc once dominated there, yet recently crashed in Q3 and finished ninth. Street layouts amplify a narrow operating window and expose balance swings.

Competitive context is stark. Ferrari trails McLaren, Red Bull, and increasingly Mercedes. The upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix offers opportunity, but optimism has cooled.

If the grid order holds in Singapore, Ferrari risks losing meaningful points to direct rivals. The deficit particularly grows versus Mercedes and Red Bull.

Technically, the front axle lacks bite while the rear remains on a knife-edge. With no major hardware changes, tyre prep, track evolution, and ride height sensitivity look influential.

Ferrari’s priority for the 2025 season is widening the set-up window. Restoring predictable feedback is essential if Leclerc is to leverage street-circuit strengths again.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.